What is Traditional French Food?

What are some typical traditional French foods? and Where did the world fame of French food come from? Thanks to regional cooking techniques and rich flavors. Here is a list of some classic French dishes:

Baguette

The baguette is a traditional French food, a stick-shaped bread made from ordinary flour, water, yeast, and salt, with a crispy outer shell, It has a common length of about 65 cm (26 in), even up to 1 meter long.

Originating from France, baguette bread is also considered a symbol and culture of France. In November 2018, baguette bread was not only added to the National Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage of the French Ministry of Culture but also recognized by UNESCO and inscribed on the Intangible Cultural Heritage List, 2022.

Standard baguettes are often handcrafted by skilled artisans, along with ingredients such as 2% broad bean flour, 0.5% soybean flour, and 0.3% wheat malt powder.

Coq au Vin

Coq au vin is considered one of the signature French dishes, braised chicken with wine, lard, mushrooms, and garlic options with Burgundy red wine.

The preparation of chicken is marinated by chefs, seasoned, and then simmered slowly in wine, sometimes brandy, until tender. Along with a variety of seasonings such as salt, pepper, thyme, parsley, and bay leaf, often in the form of garnishes, a juice thickened with roux is added at the end.

There are many different legends about Coq au vin, some say it dates back to ancient times, and others say it appeared in 1864 in a cookbook. A recipe for Coq au vin, the art of mastering French cooking.

Quiche Lorraine

Quiche Lorraine is made the classic way with a filling made of eggs, ham, and heavy cream. Quiche Lorraine can be served in a variety of ways such as hot, warm, or cold.

There is much debate about the ingredients that chefs have added. There are opinions that the cake ingredients are changed to match production costs, while others say it is related to the flavor. But anyway, in 1961 it appeared in the book Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Simone Beck, Louisette Berthalle, and Julia Child.

Initially, it was little known, but by the mid-20th century, its popularity had spread throughout Europe and the world. It has appeared almost on bakery shelves in supermarkets in France, England, and America and is sought after by consumers.

Bouillabaisse

Bouillabaisse is a traditional food of the port city of Marseille, which is fish soup in the style of experts using broth with rouille. Perhaps the difference created by this dish is the taste, the chef's selection of herbs and spices has made it unique.

In a large plate of soup served together, that is the motto of the American chef living in Marseille. This confirmed its influence in the culinary industry, and in 1980 11 restaurants in Marseille came together to draft a Bouillabaisse charter so that chefs could prepare and use ingredients wisely. systematic.

Many experienced chefs also confirm. The flavor of Bouillabaisse comes from only two ingredients: Provençal soup - Onion, garlic, tomato, olive oil, saffron, thyme, bay, and a little more orange peel created its flavor.

Cassoulet

Cassoulet is a southern dish that originated in the town of Castelnaudary in the province of Aude, It is a rich stew, so to speak, a waste of haricot beans, pork, lamb, sausages, and preserved goose, the Chef marinated aromatic spices with garlic and herbs to create deliciousness.

Cassoulet is a traditional dish often used in a clay pot for slow cooking. In the high-end culinary version, experts sprinkle breadcrumbs to form a crust on the surface of the dish.

The editor of Larousse Gastronomique also rated it as the "trinity", to distinguish the hierarchy of meats when used, "Father" is stew meat from Castelnaudary, "Son" is stew meat from Carcassonne and "Holy Ghost" from Toulouse.

Foie Gras

Foie gras is a dish. That is famous in the French culinary world and has an unforgettable rich flavor, its fat is not like regular duck liver, it is delicate. passed through the hands of professional chefs.

Pure Foie gras is divided into three types. Type A has the highest amount of fat, and is often processed at low temperatures by manufacturers. When processed at high temperatures, the protein ratio is higher, this type is classified B. Type C are other products used as sauces for dishes.

In 2020, France produced 14,266 tons/out of the total world output of 22,409 tons. Due to high culinary demand, Foie gras often appears in the meals of Americans, French, and many countries around the world.

Crème Brûlée

Crème brûlée is burnt cream, a high-class French dessert. Its recipe consists of egg yolks and milk, covered with a layer of hard caramelized sugar, For a traditional taste chefs use vanilla, then decorate it with some fruit.

There are two to make Crème brûlée. Usually, they make "hot" custard This way the chefs beat the egg yolks in a double boiler with sugar and add the cream, then add vanilla after removing the custard from the heat, Another way, The egg yolk mixture with sugar will be mixed with hot cream, then vanilla will be added at the end. In the "cold" method, chefs use egg yolks and sugar which are then beaten together so the mixture reaches the ribbon stage. Finally, cold heavy cream is added and beaten into the yolk mixture, followed by vanilla, which is poured into ramekins and baked in a bain-marie

In the 1980s, it was so popular that it was called the darling of the restaurant boom. At Le Cirque restaurant in New York, Sirio Maccioni has made it a favorite, among the most famous desserts today.

French Onion Soup

French Onion Soup is a soup made from onions. The onions are softened in lard and then cooked in water. Chefs often use beef broth to make the broth, then add egg yolks before serving. to make the soup more flavorful.

The recipe for cooking this soup is very different, some chefs slice onions and cook them in butter and oil until soft. Others use boiled beef broth and then add white wine or apples to create a different flavor.

Its spread was recorded in the Cookery and Housekeeping Manual of 1827 and published in Edinburgh, England. In 1861, it was introduced to the United States at Henri Mouquin's restaurant in New York. Shops stayed open all night to sell to partygoers, the parties leaving the pubs.

Pot-au-Feu

Pot-au-feu is a traditional French food. The ingredients include slowly boiled meat and vegetables. This dish is familiar to people all over France. People also prepare it in many different ways, depending on the region. But the most famous is the recipe that has beef as the main meat, and sometimes pork, ham, or chicken and sausage are also used.

Condiments such as mustard, capers, pickled cucumbers, pickled samphire, and horseradish are popular with chefs. The accompanying sauce can be tomato sauce or hard-boiled egg mayonnaise with herbs, capers, and some broth.

It's just a meal, but its popularity is known to everyone, from the poor to the rich. Everyone calls it "the quintessence of French family cuisine".

Salade Niçoise

Salade niçoise is a dish made from boiled eggs, anchovies, Niçoise olives, and tomatoes, then used with vinaigrette, but now in the modern version, restaurant chefs prefer to use olive oil to mix, the combination of ingredients and flavors brings the tastiest, most delicious summer salad of all.

Salade niçoise is served in many forms such as salad dressing, or canned for commercial production. Gourmets and rich people when entering restaurants also request that salads be served in a wooden bowl rubbed with garlic.

It was originally described as "simple food for the poor". But, over time, the salade niçoise recipe took off, and people searched for it on forums and social networks. From Europe to America, in 1961 a cookbook titled "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" had great American influence. Its influence was so great that in 1970, the television show on her was The French Chef.

Pâté

Pâté is believed to have originated in France, the ingredients are made from pork, possibly poultry or beef. Add a little seasoning for flavor such as herbs, fats, vegetables, and wine, and it is served hot or cold.

According to leading culinary experts, Pâté has the best flavor after refrigeration. In traditional French cuisine, pâté is often baked in a loaf of bread, but it is also baked in a crust-like pie, called pâté en croûte.

In the 19th century, pâté was widely popular throughout France, so popular that it was a staple dish in French cuisine.

Macarons

Macaron is a type of cake made from egg whites, granulated sugar, and almond powder. Bakers use food coloring to make the color of the cake more vivid.

When baked, the cake has a rough round shape, but its texture is soft and melts easily in the mouth. Talking about flavor, depending on each store they have different flavor secrets, but they all have in common the traditional sweet taste like raspberries.

French Macaroon is the recipe that skilled bakers apply to this type of cake. Variations of this cake appear in many countries, but its ingredients do not vary much.

Vegan variation for customers on a diet, they use aquafaba instead of egg whites, and butter is also substituted. However, the other ingredients are basically the same.